Manufactured Lean in the USA

Rollability Tips

Ergonomic considerations are always top of mind. As the U.S. workforce ages and workmen's compensation costs climb, selecting a caster with high rollability is a smart choice to reduce stress on joints, prevent back injuries, and better accommodate staff. Wheel size is the single biggest factor in rollability. Larger wheels are easier to push or pull under load. Test data is available to determine what size and tread type is best for any given load and ergonomic parameters.

Capacity Selection Tips

Be sure to add the weight of the cart, trailer, or AGV in addition to the weight of the load. Also consider the possibility of overload, shock loading, abuse or poor floor conditions into your calculation. Then it may seem obvious to divide the maximum load weight by four casters, but this can lead to heavy miscalculations. Why? Because most loads don't maintain an even weight across the length and width of the vehicle. An off-center load could overload even the most durable casters.

Shock Loading Tips

Shock loading occurs when a load is dropped onto the trailer. Or when a rig rolls over a bump, like a concrete joint, door jam, dock plate or leveler. In some cases, shock loading can force a wheel to bear more than three times the weight of the load.

Operating Environment Tips

Where is it rolling? Environmental conditions must be considered when choosing a caster or wheel. For example, if excessive noise is an issue, Hamilton offers quiet-rolling wheels with high load capacities. Extremely hot or cold applications may require special caster and wheel materials, and bearing lubricants, to withstand the conditions.

Abuse Tips

Abuse takes a toll on casters. We like to believe that everyone uses them as intended, but we also understand that's not always the reality. Sometimes workers move too quickly, take short cuts, or even take out frustrations on them. Keep this in mind when selecting equipment.

The Effects on Floors

Poor floor conditions can cause a caster or wheel to fail, but don't underestimate the effect wheels can have on floors, too. Very hard wheels, such as cast iron or forged steel, roll easily and carry higher capacities than resilient tread wheels. But, they can damage concrete floors and lead to costly repairs.

Rollability Tips

Ergonomic considerations are always top of mind. As the U.S. workforce ages and workmen's compensation costs climb, selecting a wheel with high rollability is a smart choice to reduce stress on joints, prevent back injuries, and better accommodate staff. Wheel size is the single biggest factor in rollability. Larger wheels are easier to push or pull under load. Test data is available to determine what size and tread type is best for any given load and ergonomic parameters.

Capacity Selection Tips

Be sure to add the weight of the cart, trailer, or AGV in addition to the weight of the load. Also consider the possibility of overload, shock loading, abuse or poor floor conditions into your calculation. Then it may seem obvious to divide the maximum load weight by four wheels, but this can lead to heavy miscalculations. Why? Because most loads don't maintain an even weight across the length and width of the vehicle. An off-center load could overload even the most durable wheels.

Shock Loading Tips

Shock loading occurs when a load is dropped onto the trailer. Or when a rig rolls over a bump, like a concrete joint, door jam, dock plate or leveler. In some cases, shock loading can force a wheel to bear more than three times the weight of the load.

Operating Environment Tips

Where is it rolling? Environmental conditions must be considered when choosing a wheel. For example, if excessive noise is an issue, Hamilton offers quiet-rolling wheels with high load capacities. Extremely hot or cold applications may require special wheel materials, and bearing lubricants, to withstand the conditions.

Abuse Tips

Abuse takes a toll on wheels. We like to believe that everyone uses them as intended, but we also understand that's not always the reality. Sometimes workers move too quickly, take short cuts, or even take out frustrations on them. Keep this in mind when selecting equipment.

The Effect on Floors

Poor floor conditions can cause a wheel to fail, but don't underestimate the effect wheels can have on floors, too. Very hard wheels, such as cast iron or forged steel, roll easily and carry higher capacities than resilient tread wheels. But, they can damage concrete floors and lead to costly repairs.

Back when Al Capone waged war on prohibition and Babe Ruth dominated pro baseball, Hamilton Caster began to build hand trucks. Nearly a century later, one of our original relics still chugs along thanks to the help of Dan and Edna Whiteley.

After discovering the hand truck at an auction in Southeast Ohio, the couple restored it close to its original condition.

Although the model is the same as the trucks we built in 1920s, we can't be certain exactly when it was made because the serial number is worn off. But production date aside, the Whiteleys were impressed that the rig still runs smoothly and that we still manufacture all of our products in Hamilton, Ohio.

Capable of hauling 1000 lbs., the fully armored Model 31-A hand truck weighs just 65 lbs., making heavy loads a breeze to haul during the Roaring Twenties. Reinforced steel prevented deterioration and helped the truck last a lifetime.

Even in a new era, some things, like Hamilton's unmatched durability, will never change. And thanks to the Whiteleys' passion for "back in the day" hardware, we can relish the nostalgia, too.

While Santa gets all the credit for delivering presents, Hamilton quietly manufactures platform trucks that UPS uses to haul packages. And that's just one way Hamilton fuels the holidays. Here are more:

Snowplows use Hamilton casters to keep streets hassle free.

The Rose Bowl Parade features our casters on the iconic floral floats.

Boeing uses our casters to build planes to bring families together.

Disney moves its Dumbo-sized Christmas tree stands with our casters.

Santa Claus, Indiana is home to our casters at amusement park Holiday World.

Football stadiums around the country use our trailers and casters to transport beer kegs to concession stands.

Meatpacking factories use Hamilton trucks to haul chicken, turkey and ham that end up on dinner tables.

Economic woes have Americans fed up with big business and gridlock in Washington. But, according to Chief Executive Magazine, politics won't fix this crisis. It's plain old capitalism that will get the United States back on track.

Author Ram Charan outlines a six-step plan for getting things moving in the right direction. Here are his ideas:

Local job creation. While Capitol Hill attempts to hammer out the budget, business leaders from each state should work together. With a united strategy, companies can focus on lucrative exports that create jobs for local companies, stimulate the economy and grow a trade surplus.

Drive local companies to export. Many businesses aren't equipped to manage exports. With a united system in place, larger companies can help these businesses ship products overseas. At Hamilton, we already ship globally, but it will take 10-15 states working together to create a roaring expert engine.

Job training. Businesses and state governments should work together to determine which industries suffer from skill deficiencies, and create training programs to combat them. Technical job training leads to more innovation, increased productivity, and economic growth. It's always been Hamilton's philosophy to provide on-the-job training and promote from within. Many of our team members have worked in various parts of the factory and front office!

Create an agenda that outlines which industries, markets and foreign countries to target for exports, and if any regulation is preventing those sectors from performing.

To fix the country's economic crisis, U.S. businesses must work together. And for companies like Hamilton, we're already driving change by creating local jobs, managing global exports, and providing job training to boost productivity. It's an ongoing effort, but we've been doing it since 1907, and we don't plan on stopping – even when the economy prospers again.

Hamilton will join 800 exhibitors at ProMat 2013 from January 21 to 24 at McCormick Place, Chicago. Join Steve, Dave, Jim, and Mark Lippert, Marty Wilson & new arrival, Karin Laine, at booth 1271 and see new innovations like our Son of Mini-Mite Low Profile casters and premium Ultralast™ wheel, and what we have planned in the New Year.Register for free here.

It's time to revolutionize The Revolution. Next month we're launching our new blog, which will house this e-newsletter, white papers, Hamilton buzz, videos, and stories from our engineers, sales gurus and management crew. So for the caster junkies who crave tech specs and CAD drawings of our most complex custom products, or the sales gunslingers who want selling tips straight from our seasoned sales engineers, the new Revolution Blog from Hamilton has it all. Check your email in January for the next issue of The Revolution and head to our new blog.